It’s 2 am, a student taps their phone screen and sets an alarm for 6.30. A message pops up. It said, “Alarm set for 4 hours and 30 minutes”. Their chest tightens as the realization hits – another school day with almost no sleep.
Instead of resting, their mind starts spiraling. Thoughts race from unfinished homework to upcoming tests, and how tired they will feel by third period. The more they worry about not getting enough sleep, the harder it becomes to actually fall asleep. Getting stressed about not getting enough sleep destroys their sleep. When they check their phone one more time, it’s already 3.40 am – less than 3 hours left.
Stories like this aren’t rare. At Fairchild, they are the norm.
At Fairchild, the numbers tell the same story. According to a survey conducted at Fairchild, 40% of students get only 6-7 hours of sleep, while another 40% get 5 hours or less on a typical night. That’s far below the recommended 8-10 hours that teenagers need, which only 6.7% of students reported getting.
Teenagers who use their phones around bedtime delay the onset of their sleep by at least 30 minutes.
Phones play a huge role in this. Researchers from O.P. Jindal Global University found that teenagers who use their phones around bedtime delay the onset of their sleep by at least 30 minutes. At Fairchild, 60% of students reported using their phone in bed every night, and another 13.3% said they do so most nights. So, when students were asked what keeps them up at night, more than half of them answered “I just can’t fall asleep.”
The exhaustion shows up the next day. Nearly 47% of students said they feel pretty tired during the school day, while 20% said they feel extremely tired. Morning classes are the hardest. Students sit at their desks half-awake, rereading the same notes, struggling to focus as teachers move on.
For some, lack of sleep directly affects academic performance. A freshman shared that being tired makes it almost impossible to concentrate. Another student admitted that procrastination keeps them up late, which only makes the next day worse. More than 43% of students reported falling asleep during class time at least once.
How Can I Catch More Zzzzzzs?
While the problem is widespread, there are ways students can improve their sleep. One of the biggest changes is limiting phone use before bed. Studies show that being on phones late at night delays sleep, so putting devices away even 30 minutes earlier can help students fall asleep faster. Using features like Do Not Disturb or charging phones away from the bed can reduce the urge to scroll.
For Fairchild students, small habit changes could mean the difference between another exhausted school day and actually feeling rested.
Managing time and stress also matters. Starting homework earlier, breaking assignments into smaller parts, and writing down worries before bed can stop thoughts from racing at night. Creating a consistent sleep schedule—even on weekends—helps the body adjust. For Fairchild students, small habit changes could mean the difference between another exhausted school day and actually feeling rested.
Back in bed, the clock now reads 2:47 a.m. The alarm is still set for 6:30. The student rolls over, hoping for at least a little sleep before morning comes. In just a few hours, they’ll have to wake up, grab their backpack, and head to school—tired, stressed, and already counting down to the next night.
For teens at Fairchild, sleep isn’t just something they need. It’s something they’re constantly losing.
